Earlier in the week I tried to recount the places and addresses that I have lived and the list is rather long.
Go Cong I was born in Go Cong, Tieng Giang Vietnam so that was the first place that I lived in. My parents and I lived with my great-grandparents. I don’t remember much but that accounted for the first seven years of my life.
Palau Bidong, Malaysia I spent approximately 18 months on a Malaysian island as a refugee. This was the most difficult part of my life. It was just my dad and I. My mom and siblings were not aware that we left and didn’t know of our whereabouts for many months. I remember that I was hungry many days. We didn’t have much. Even showers were difficult. I had to climb up a mountain just to take a shower. Water ration was limited per person. There were days when the supply ship didn’t come with food and water and we would ended Ho eat sardine and no water ration for that day. And the supply ship only came in every two days.
Today the island is no longer occupied. It’s a scuba diving vacation location. It didn’t feel like a vacation at that time. Occasionally former residents returned with tour operators to visit what was once a major temporary stop for many boat people. I hope to one day return to the place that defined my character as well.
Sungai BC, Malaysia My stay in this refugee was relatively short. I remember it well because I get to shower in the public water spot every day. We were also provided two meals per day every day at the cafeteria. We couldn’t eat beef or pork because the Malaysian government, consistently made up of predominantly Muslim people, didn’t allow them in the refugee camp. I remember one day seeing my dad boiling something in a small pot. I am not sure how he got that pot. After he finished boiling he told me to come over and and cut me a piece of semi-cooked pork. At that point, I hadn’t eaten pork for almost two years. The taste was odd and I told my father I didn’t want anymore. He told me how good it was and proceeded to eat the rest of the meat.
Bataan, Philippines The next stop that I lived in was in the Phillippines. I spent approximately 6 months here. I remember it as a fun time. By this time, my aunt and uncle have reached the United States. They were on the same boat as my family and me, but they were sponsored sooner and left the refugee camp earlier. They started sending money to us. Fresh meat, fruits and vegetables were distributed to the residents daily. I bought and ate breakfast with the money we received from my aunt.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania USA Place No. 1 We arrived in Harrisburg, PA and stayed with my aunt’s family. My aunt has just given birth to her youngest son. Her family consisted of she and her husband, three kids and a newborn. Added to the House was my uncle, father and me. We were all squeezed into a rented townhouse that was approximately 1,200 square feet.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania USA apartment Upon inspection of our subsidized housing unit, the manager of the complex informed my aunt that we were not in compliance with the rental agreement in having that many adults living under the same roof. My father secured an apartment him and me in the same housing complex. My other uncle moved in with some friends as well.
Rochester, New York I spent 6 years in Rochester for undergraduate and graduate education in four different addresses. Intellectually I blossomed during this stimulating time because I live and study with a diverse group of other students with similar objectives. This was where I met my future wife so it will always have a place in my heart. Rochester is a medium-sized city in nestled between Syracuse and Buffalo, near the Canadian border. In its former glory days, it was a technology hub. It could have been the Silicone Valley of technology had Xerox, which invented the personal computer, capitalized on its invention. Today it continued to lose population to other places. My sister-in-law’s family lived in Rochester so we continued to visit it occasionally throughout the year.
Various locations in New York City, New York I have lived in many addresses in New York in my professional life that include a basement apartment that flooded, shared apartment with a childhood friend, an apartment near the train track, an apartment that we lived next to crazy neighbors and had to hire a locksmith to break our lock, a basement apartment that didn’t have heat in the middle of Winter which we were kicked out, a purchased apartment that we barely lived in, three apartments in the same building that we moved to because of changes in family size, and finally a waterview apartment on the Hudson River. I will talk about my time in these various places in another post.
West Chester, Pennsylvania location 1 We moved down to PA for my new job and thought that we should find temporary housing while we looked for a house. We ended renting a townhouse that too small for three adults and a toddler. It was a stressful time because we were all dealing with changes. At the time, my father-in-law had just passed and I think we all needed space. It wasn’t possible in that tiny house and it created lots of tension.
Current location, West Chester Pennsylvania USA We have been living in our current house for almost three years now. It’s a townhouse in a housing complex that has a HOA that takes care of everything: lawn work, snow removal, etc. in front of my house is a swimming pool that my daughter goes to in the summer months. It works for my wife and me because we just don’t have time to attend to these things at the moment. The house is about 2,600 square feet plus a basement. It has three bedrooms. We are comfortable in it until the children are older.
Next Place, Somewhere in the world When our children get older we will likely move again. We will need to find a place where we have enough bedroom for everyone. Right now, both of my children are in the same bedroom as we are. We are managing it and my wife wants it that way for now. As the kids get older, we want to afford them independence and privacy. We will also want to put them where there are more young children their own age. Where we are now, there are more seniors than children.
The second reason that we may move is that one of us changes jobs. America is a mobile nation and it’s normal for one to move cross country for a job.
Ultimately my wife and I want to settle down to a place where we can call home and the kids once in adulthood will want to return to.
We are deciding between Florida, USA, Dalat Vietnam or one of the Carribbean Islands. Where will it be? Where will it be? 
Rolling Hills of Dalat, Vietnam would be a great place to spend a lifetime.
Image source: pixabay